Amazon TV ad puts Kindle Fire HD up against iPad

No doubt buoyed by recent news that its Kindle Fire tablets currently hold 33 percent of the US Android tablet market, Amazon has rolled out a TV ad with Apple’s iPad in its sights.

Sure, Apple’s device continues to dominate the overall tablet market, but data released last week by research firm IDC suggests the tide may be turning in favor of its competitors. Does Amazon smell blood?

In its new ad (below), the e-commerce giant was confident enough to show its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD device directly alongside the 9.7-inch iPad.

The voiceover introduces both tablets: This is the iPad with Retina display. And this is the new Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9-inch display….

And even compliments the iPad’s screen: Stunning HD.

Before complimenting the Kindle Fire’s display too: Stunning HD. In fact, you may not be able to tell the difference….

Then the killer line: …but your wallet definitely can.

At the same time, the cost of each device shows up on the screen of each tablet: the iPad for $499 and the Fire for $299 (or $269 if you take advantage of the company’s special offer running this week).

The ad’s focus on the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD’s 254-pixels-per-inch display is perfectly understandable, as it’s only a few pixels fewer than what the iPad offers with its 264 PPI display. To see how the two tablets compare on other features, check out DT’s spec showdown here.

Amazon’s anti-iPad campaigns don’t always go to plan, however. The Seattle-based company had to pull an erroneous comparison ad from its website last October when it wrongly listed Apple’s iPad Mini as having a mono speaker when it does in fact have dual stereo ones.